We are quickly moving towards the end of the year and running out of time to get those awkward jobs done that we know we should be doing, but somehow just keep putting off.

If backing up your computer is one of those never-getting-round-to-it jobs, then hopefully this simple Back Up 101 will help you!

Who really needs to back up?

You may wonder whether you really need to do a backup. Your computer may only be a few months old / you don’t really do much on it and it just stays at home.

If you really don’t mind losing any files, pictures etc., and are happy and comfortable spending hours on re-installing Windows, programmes, and any devices in case you are affected by data loss, then you are right, and don’t need to worry.

But for most of us, that’s not the case. We store pictures, accounts, emails, documents and so much more on our computers and we really don’t want to lose them.

And if you are using your computer for your business, you do of course have a legal responsibility to back up your data and could earn yourself a huge fine if you don’t.

Can your business afford to start all-over? Computer backup Harrogate

What could go wrong?

The most common reason for data loss is accidentally deleting or overwriting, but there are other factors that play a role:

– Hard drives, where all your data is stored, just break and not always with a warning
– Viruses attack even when you have anti-virus software installed
– Windows updates going wrong, sometimes all you can do is start again
– Theft
– Physical damage (i.e. dropping the laptop, water or fire damage)

Sometimes, we think we are doing everything right and are backing data up, but we don’t test the backup to see whether it works, until we actually need it and by that time, it’s of course too late.

And now to the good part

Backup software has really come on in recent years and has made “set it and forget it” super easy.  You no longer have to have an organized filing system and degree in IT to back up – you can just back up everything with very little effort and at very little expense.

All you need, is a backup drive (check out this drive on Amazon) and some backup software – we highly recommend Macrium Reflect, and not just because they offer a “free forever” version but because it’s easy to use (just a few clicks) and reliable.

Of course, you should also back up your really important data in the cloud and you may already be having access to one, i.e. OneDrive if you are using Microsoft 365.

Most importantly, once you have a backup system in place, make sure to test it so there are no nasty surprises in case you need it.

Get in touch if you want any advice or prefer for us to get you all set up – an hour you will not regret investing in! Computer backup Harrogate